> 2005/6/30, Tim Harvey <tim_harvey@yahoo.com>:
> > Our project includes the linux kernel source tree. Occasionally we make
> small
> > changes to it, and we occasionally want to sync in new kernel versions.
> What
> > is the easiest way to accomplish this?
>
> I don't know if it's the easiest way to manage "vendor" branches but
> I'm using svn_load_dirs script to perform the import action.
>
> You can do that with tarballs but, IMHO, you should import files
> regulary to downsize the diff between each versions.

I wasn't even aware that this script existed or came with subversion (is it
new?). I read over the README and from what I gather its a convenience tool
for putting tarballs, which have no source control info in them (ie, no .svn or
.CVS files) into source control for the first time. So, using the methodology
of creating a branch in imports for each release you choose to sync with, this
tool simply assists you in the creation of that import correct? It just saves
you the time of untaring it and importing it? Seeing as untaring and importing
isn't that big of a step, it seems like its most useful if you were to take
advantage of its feature if using a file to specify specific options for files
(the -p cmdline option).

The one thing that bothered me in the README was where they say you might want
to make backups of your repository before you run the script in case your not
happy with the results or if the script fails for some reason. Wouldn't you
just do a revert or obliterate on the failed import if this was the case?

You mean that this tool is for first-time imports into your repo only right?
Yes, I see that it doesn't do any merging.

> > For example, should we pull in each
> > kernel version in an 'import' branch, then merge it into trunk which has
> the
> > previous kernel plus our changes?
>
> Yes you should.

Is there any dissadvantage to doing this? By importing each kernel minor
release for example, your repository will grow rather quickly. Are there any
performance issues based on the size of your repository due to this method?

>
> > When we perform this merge between the
> > previous kernel version, the newly imported kernel version, and our working
> > directory, will files that have been removed in the new kernel version be
> > removed from the working directory?
>
> With svn_load_dirs, yes.
>

technically no files are removed with svn_load_dirs because its not doing any
merging, just importing a tarball correct?